This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cottagnoud, P.
Right arrow Articles by Täuber, M. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cottagnoud, P.
Right arrow Articles by Täuber, M. G.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, June 2003, p. 3663-3666, Vol. 71, No. 6
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.6.3663-3666.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Stereochemistry of the Amino Acid Side Chain Influences the Inflammatory Potential of Muramyl Dipeptide in Experimental Meningitis

P. Cottagnoud,1* C. M. Gerber,2 P. A. Majcherczyk,3 F. Acosta,2 M. Cottagnoud,2 K. Neftel,2 P. Moreillon,3 and M. G. Täuber4

Department of Internal Medicine, Inselspital,1 Department of Internal Medicine, Zieglerspital,2 Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern,4 Department of Infectious Diseases, CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland3

Received 25 July 2002/ Returned for modification 18 December 2002/ Accepted 19 March 2003

Intrathecal injections of 50 to 100 µg of (N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine) muramyl dipeptide (MDP)/rabbit dose-dependently triggered tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-{alpha}) secretion (12 to 40,000 pg/ml) preceding the influx of leukocytes in the subarachnoid space of rabbits. Intrathecal instillation of heat-killed unencapsulated R6 pneumococci produced a comparable leukocyte influx but only a minimal level of preceding TNF-{alpha} secretion. The stereochemistry of the first amino acid (L-alanine) of the MDP played a crucial role with regard to its inflammatory potential. Isomers harboring D-alanine in first position did not induce TNF-{alpha} secretion and influx of leukocytes. This stereospecificity of MDPs was also confirmed by measuring TNF-{alpha} release from human peripheral mononuclear blood cells stimulated in vitro. These data show that the inflammatory potential of MDPs depends on the stereochemistry of the first amino acid of the peptide side chain and suggest that intact pneumococci and MDPs induce inflammation by different pathways.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse, 3010 Bern, Switzerland. Phone: 41-31-632-34-72. Fax: 41-31-632-38-47. E-mail: pcottagn{at}insel.ch.

Editor: V. J. DiRita

Infection and Immunity, June 2003, p. 3663-3666, Vol. 71, No. 6
0019-9567/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/IAI.71.6.3663-3666.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Chen, D., Texada, D. E., Duggan, C., Liang, C., Reden, T. B., Kooragayala, L. M., Langford, M. P. (2005). Surface Calreticulin Mediates Muramyl Dipeptide-induced Apoptosis in RK13 Cells. J. Biol. Chem. 280: 22425-22436 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»